Leak in basement shower

[sgsearle]

Hi everyone,

I've been banging my head against the wall for a while on this one.

I've got a shower in a downstairs bathroom that rests on a concrete slab that has recently sprung a leak. The pipe in the concrete is 1.5" wide. The shower drain itself is 2". Previous owners used silicone to fill the .5" void up to the level of the drain pipe itself and I guess thought that this would last for some reason. Not surprising is that it now leaks.

I've pulled the shower, fitted a coupling that takes the 1.5" to 2", screwed down a proper drain with plumbers putty. All went well. However I've still got a very small leak and I'm really struggling to figure out what the cause might be. Looking for suggestions I guess on what I can try or how I can pinpoint where the trouble is. I can't get under to see where it's coming from.

Here are some ideas or things I've noted in assembling / disassembling (these may or may not be issues -- I don't really know):

1) The opening in the bottom of the shower has a small knick out of one side. Is it possible the water is escaping here? The gasket looks like it covers all of this on the bottom side. This would also be covered by plumbers putty, and the lip of the drain on the top side.

2) The shower stall doesn't look like it flexes any when I screw the drain in and the pipe obiviously doesn't give any as it is encased in concrete. How does one ensure the shower is sitting square on the gasket? Can I seal the gasket and plumbing to the bottom of the shower with silicone?

Any help appreciated.

-Scott

[Trying2Help]

Sounds like a fun job!!! :wall:

Are you sure it is the drain that is leaking? Is there a possibility there is a crack in the side or floor of the shower enclosure that is leaking and you just overlooked it by jumping on the drain?

Does it leak all the time? What I mean here is: Does it leak if there isn't anyone in the shower and just have the water running? Sometimes the floor will flex when someone is in the shower, from their weight, and cause a leak that doesn't happen when there isn't anyone in the shower.

Ensure the drain line is clear and able to drain well. There shouldn't be any pressure on this line so the water should flow down the drain and not have a chance to back up over the connection under the shower floor.

"Can I seal the gasket and plumbing to the bottom of the shower with silicone?" A seal of any kind is better than no seal!! So I guess the best answer would be...if it works, yes. ;)

[sgsearle]

Hi thanks for the quick reply.

Yes I'm pretty sure the problem is isolated to the drain. There didn't appear to be any cracks in the bottom or sides of the shower stall where water would be escaping. As mentioned, only one small knick less than 1/8" around the opening in the bottom to connect to the plumbing. I forgot to mention that this was patched when the shower was removed.

The leak occurs when I pour water into the bottom of the shower and let it drain. There is no weight in the stall itself. The lines are clear and I've watched it drain so a backup isn't the problem here either.

These are good suggestions and I guess I'll have to keep trying until it stops. It's just a bugger that I can't see where the leak is so it is just guess work at this point!

-Scott

[Trying2Help]

Divide and conquer.....Can you run a hose to the shower and run water only down the drain, without getting any on the outside of the drain? If you can and you still get a leak than the problem would be with the pipes not the seal of the drain to the floor. :confused:

If there is no leak at this point, than you would have to look closer at the seal of the drain to floor.

I think this is where you are going to find the problem, just because you say the floor doesn't flex when you tighten the drain. Seems to me you would have to have some force pulling the floor down to get a good seal.

Showers are just no fun to work on!!!! :(